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Total Defence is
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
's
whole-of-society Whole-of-society, or Whole of society, is a concept in international relations and related fields which looks to engage diverse groups across society to further common policy goals. Definition According to the United Nations Educational, Scientif ...
national defence concept, based on the premise that every aspect of society contributes to the collective defence of the state. The strategy was first introduced in 1984 and adopted from the national defence strategies of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
and
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. It initially consisted of five key tenets; military, civil, economic, social, and psychological, with the sixth, digital, being introduced in 2019. The strategy was amplified by the government slogan: ''There's A Part For Everyone'', with a corresponding national song named after it when first introduced. Total Defence Day is commemorated on 15 February annually, the day colonial Singapore surrendered to Japan in 1942 during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


History

On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent state; conscription for all able-bodied males aged 16 and above was subsequently implemented in the form of
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
(NS) on 15 March 1967. By the 1980s, military defence was recognised to be an established fact of life in the island city-state, though several Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned the effectiveness of the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
's outreach program on inoculating the public on the concept of total defence. A series of questions were put forth to Minister for Defence
Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...
during a parliamentary sitting on 16 March 1983. The following day, Minister of State for Defence Yeo Ning Hong replied that progress was underway on a program that would focus on five main points. During Civil Defence Week on 24 September 1983, Minister for Home Affairs Chua Sian Chin acknowledged that the government had erred in not introducing civil defence alongside military defence, resulting in public apathy toward the former, and that it was seeking to rectify the problem by integrating both into the total defence strategy. On 6 January 1984, the government announced the creation of the civilian-led Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (Accord) to promote its media strategy and raise public awareness of the program, inviting Members of Parliament, businessmen, trade unionists and community leaders to join. It saw the necessity for civilians to take the lead in promoting the total defence strategy, instead of military personnel. The council would be established on 18 January 1984. Total Defence was officially proclaimed as Singapore's overarching defence strategy on 22 January 1984 with five pillars: military, civil, economic, social, and psychological. It received leading headlines in state-run newspapers carrying commentaries on its necessity juxtaposed with warfare scenarios going beyond the traditional scope of the military. Over the coming months, the Ministry of Defence launched a campaign to promote Total Defence in schools, business communities and amongst the people. Older people who had been through the Japanese occupation were noted to be more "enthusiastic" in supporting it. Competitions were held to create a logo and song based around the strategy. In 2019, digital defence was added as the sixth pillar of Total Defence, with the government highlighting increasing threats in the cybersphere. There have been calls by Members of Parliament to add climate defence as the seventh pillar, to highlight Singapore's vulnerability to
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
and rising seas. The strategy has seen widespread usage amongst successive
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
(PAP) governments since its inception, being invoked during the 2003 SARS, 2009 H1N1 and
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemics, the
1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
, the
2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
, and annual
Southeast Asian haze The Southeast Asian haze is a fire-related recurrent transboundary air pollution issue. Haze events, where air quality reaches hazardous levels due to high concentrations of airborne Particulate pollution, particulate matter from burning Bio ...
. The rise of
domestic Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...
and international
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
abroad is also cited by the Singapore Government as the necessity of Total Defence to prevent or respond to an attack.


Six pillars

The
Singapore Government The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet le ...
has justified Total Defence on several factors: the island city-state's small size and marginal population; lack of natural resources; and a racial and religious-diverse population. It states that these factors make Singapore vulnerable to threats such as international terrorism, natural disasters, pandemics and disinformation campaigns, that could result in an economic slowdown.


Military defence

Military defence involves heavy investment in armaments, training and equipment for the
Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...
(SAF), with the Singapore Government maintaining a defence budget ranked amongst the highest in the
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
region. A capable armed forces is seen as a necessity to deter potential aggressors. In addition to two years of national service, the onus is placed on reservist troops to maintain their physical fitness through annual individual physical proficiency tests (IPPT) and in-camp training (ICT). Corporate companies are encouraged to create "pro-NS" policies for reservists, such as training spaces, monetary incentives and flexible working hours, and are recognised at an annual awards ceremony.


Civil defence

Civil defence broadly refers to activities of the
Singapore Civil Defence Force The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency med ...
(SCDF) and
Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; hum ...
(SPF) to restore a sense of normalcy during a national crisis with the aid of active civilian participation. Civilians are trained in
first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...
, urban survival, and management of blood, water and food resources. Donating blood to national blood banks, volunteer work, and being a medical frontliner are also activities seen as contributing to civil defence.


Economic defence

Economic defence relates to governmental efforts to sustain and develop Singapore's economy, while a policy is undertaken by the government for workers to upgrade their skill sets. The Singapore Government also stockpiles essential supplies of food, medication and
personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...
, in addition to pursuing secondary supply chains, so as to offset potential disruptions. The conservation of essential resources including water is placed under economic defence.


Social defence

Social defence stems from official policies to maintain social cohesion among Singapore's diverse population through
multiculturalism Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''Pluralism (political theory), ethnic'' or cultura ...
. As part of state-backed efforts, religious leaders engage in interfaith sessions through the Inter-Religious Organisation; such efforts are seen as necessary by the Singapore Government to counter
non-state actor A non-state actor (NSA) is an individual or organization that has significant political influence but is not allied to any particular country or state. The interests, structure, and influence of NSAs vary widely. For example, among NSAs are non-pr ...
s influence operations. Improving relations between neighbours is also listed as part of social defence.


Psychological defence

Psychological defence refers to the Singapore Government's programme to strengthen "resolve and resilience" amongst its citizens to face unexpected crises; it is also cited as necessary to combat
fake news Fake news or information disorder is false or misleading information (misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and hoaxes) claiming the aesthetics and legitimacy of news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person ...
. The government views psychological resilience as the bedrock of a "social compact" and seeks to emulate Finland's example. Efforts to improve
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
in Singapore is also placed under psychological defence.


Digital defence

Digital defence refers to efforts to increase awareness of online security threats, including misinformation,
cyberattack A cyberattack (or cyber attack) occurs when there is an unauthorized action against computer infrastructure that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of its content. The rising dependence on increasingly complex and inte ...
s and
phishing Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, worms, adware, or ransomware. Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticate ...
scams. The threat is seen as particularly acute due to the country's "open and connected" nature and governmental plans to orientate the country around a
digital economy The digital economy is a portmanteau of digital computing and economy, and is an umbrella term that describes how traditional Brick and mortar, brick-and-mortar economic activities (production, distribution, trade) are being transformed by the ...
and the
Smart Nation The Smart Nation is an initiative by the Government of Singapore to harness infocomm technologies, networks and big data to create tech-enabled solutions. Overview The Smart Nation was an initiative launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 24 ...
concept. All civil servants are mandated to undergo cybersecurity training, with the government also increasing audits of state infrastructure.


Commemoration


Total Defence Day

Total Defence Day was added to the list of dates for schools to commemorate on 17 May 1997, and first nationally marked on 15 February 1998 with the
Singapore Civil Defence Force The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency med ...
sounding the Important Message Signal through the island-wide
Public Warning System An emergency population warning, or public warning system is a method where by local, regional, or national authorities can contact or notify members of the public to warn them of an impending emergency. These warnings may be necessary for a numbe ...
sirens and local radio stations for a minute. The date was chosen to mark the British surrender of Singapore to Japan during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. At its inception, the siren was sounded at 12:05pm
Singapore Standard Time Singapore Time (SGT), also known as Singapore Standard Time (SST), is used in Singapore and is 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC+08:00). Singapore does not observe daylight saving time. History As part of the Straits Settlem ...
; this was changed to 6:20pm in 2015 to mark the actual time of the surrender in 1942. Schools conduct emergency preparedness drills, food and electricity rationing, and may organise tours to government exhibitions. The defence minister also delivers an address on the day prior, along with other ministers. A memorial service had been held annually at the War Memorial Park since 1967 to recognise civilians who lost their lives during the Japanese occupation. The event would usually involve over 1,000 participants prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was reduced to 50 for 2021.


Logo

The competition to design a logo for Total Defence was announced on 8 May 1985 before being officially launched on 1 June. Contestants were divided into four segments of society: community, art student, school and Singapore Armed Forces personnel, with no limitations to the number of submissions per individual. The Ministry of Defence stipulated design rules that the proposed logo not exceed three colours or be based on any language. The submission phase ended on 3 July, with twelve designs thereafter selected for a public vote. The final design was to be unveiled on National Day on 9 August 1985. The winning design was created by freelance artist Berwin See Hak Gei. The logo was outlined as a hand in salute, with five arrows representing the five original pillars. The crescent moon and five stars, and the colours of red and white, are elements from the national flag. Over the years, the logo was adapted to reflect the different campaign themes, but retained its distinctive five arrows design. The changes include updating the tagline which accompanied the logo, smoothening the sharp edges of the original and integrating the left-most arrow into the body in 2009, and overlaying a metallic sheen in 2017. The addition of digital defence mandated that the logo be redesigned to incorporate the sixth element, with a new competition launched on 17 September 2019. As with the first competition, 10 designs were chosen by the organisers and put up for a public vote, which ended on 29 December. The winner, Samantha Alexa Teng, a teacher at Queensway Secondary School was awarded her prize on 15 February 2020.


Campaign posters and themes

Nexus is the agency responsible for Total Defence and national education under the Ministry of Defence. Earlier campaign posters and themes focused on military defence and civil defence, but has since evolved to also include the other four elements.


See also

* Counter-terrorism in Singapore


Notes


References

{{reflist


External links


Total Defence website
Counterterrorism in Singapore Military of Singapore Civil defense 1984 establishments in Singapore